CHICKEN Soup will go down better than the witches' brew of Macbeth as reading material for teenagers.

American author and publishing guru Dan Poynter believes it is only natural that young people today prefer newer literature to older ones.

So don't insist on classics such as Shakespeare. Let them read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul if that is what interests them, he says.

Mr Poynter was in Singapore last week to present the Dan Poynter Book Camp, a seminar on how one can create, publish and promote one's own book independently.

He later shared some tips with The New Paper on getting young people to read and write more.

He emphasised the importance of providing students with relevant reading material.

'The most important thing is to give young people something they want to read.

'Some classics were written 200years ago. Teens don't find those interesting.'

He said the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series, which feature stories, poems and cartoons by young people, touch on issues that concern them.

RELEVANT

He said: 'People want to read about themselves. These books are written by young people, and they are for young people.

'Teenagers may not relate to old people. But they can connect with fellow youngsters - they may face similar self-esteem challenges, they all want to be liked,' he said.

Mr Poynter said that both parents and schools must inculcate the reading habit in children from a young age.

And it is not just reading that is important. Students need to be able to express their knowledge orally, he added.

Allow them room for personal expression in their writing.

Mr Poynter said: 'Students should be given some time to write freely, about things that are of interest to them. When they enjoy reading and writing, they don't feel it's a boring project.'

By Aditi Shivaramakrishnan, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper on July 2, 2008.